National Parks of Britain
There are 15 official national Parks in Britain and each one offers its visitors beautiful landscapes filled with lakes, moors, meadows, mountains, woodlands and wetlands. From the Cairngorms National Park in the north of Scotland, right down to Dartmoor in the south of England, each of Britain’s national parks is carefully preserved and taken care of by Association of National Park Authorities (ANPA) so tourists, ramblers and adventurers can be sure that the scenery and beauty is as untarnished as possible.
England
There are over 113,000 areas of protected parkland in Britain, covering 149 square kilometres. This is the equivalent of 6% of the Earth’s surface! Of the 15 protected parks, 10 can be found in England. These are Dartmoor, Exmoor, Lake District, New Forest, Northumberland, North York Moors, Peak District, the Yorkshire Dales, the South Downs and the Broads which has equivalent status to a National Park. Each of these offer their own unique landscape and wildlife to be enjoyed, while activities such as picnics, water sports, hiking, abseiling and rock climbing are all available for the more adventurous types.
Wales
Visitors of Wales will find Brecon Beacons, Pembrokeshire Coast and Snowdonia national parks. Although each of these offer their own unique experience, it is perhaps Snowdonia that is the most popular amongst visitors as it features the highest point in the UK outside of Scotland. This makes the park ideal for those looking to indulge in mountainous walks and rock climbing activities.
Scotland
Although Scotland only has two of the 15 national parks in the UK, Cairngorms and Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, they are amongst the most breath-taking. It is no secret the Lochs in Scotland are amongst the country’s most popular attractions, and both Cairngorms and the Trossachs are filled with such beautiful wetland areas and wide ranging lakes perfect for sailing enthusiasts and those with an interest in wildlife.
Img.: Andreas – Fotolia